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Duke met Sonny at the gym to decline Sonny's offer to be part of the takedown Sonny planned for Julian Jerome. Sonny was disappointed, but he understood why Duke would not want to risk his relationship with Anna in order to eliminate Julian. Duke said that if he lost Anna because he teamed with Sonny on the opposite side of the law from her, then even if the Jeromes were defeated, Julian still won.

Duke wished Sonny good luck, and they shook hands. Duke left through the locker rooms as Julian entered though the front door and pointed a gun at Sonny. Duke returned and hid where he could listen. Julian demanded to know where Sonny was holding Carlos, but Sonny denied all. Julian prodded and threatened, but Sonny was unflappable. Sonny challenged Julian's "empty threats" when he said that Julian would not shoot Sonny because Max, who waited outside, would blow Julian away.

Sonny added that if Julian did risk shooting Sonny, Julian would be at the top of the police suspect list. Sonny taunted that the cops were tired of chasing Sonny and would love to put Julian away. Julian said that he was not afraid of the cops, particularly Sonny's son, Dante, or police commissioner, Anna Devane. Julian told Sonny that if either Dante or Anna got in the way, he would not hesitate to kill either one.

Sonny told Julian that if Julian was done with his empty threats, he could leave. Julian put the gun away but told Sonny that it was not over. Julian said that he would be back if he did not hear from Carlos soon. Sonny was disdainful and disinterested. After Julian left, Duke emerged from the locker room. He told Sonny that he had heard Julian's threats.

Duke said that Sonny could forget Duke's earlier refusal because, since Anna was in Julian's sights, Duke wanted to help Sonny take the "bastard" down. Duke acknowledged that Sonny had been correct when he had said that Julian would not stop until someone stopped him. When Sonny asked what Duke would tell Anna about their alliance, Duke said that Anna was not safe from Julian, so what Anna did not know would not hurt her.

At the General Hospital lab, Ellie told Lulu and Dante that their embryos were missing under suspicious circumstances. After doing a thorough check, Ellie told Dante that the only other person who could have accessed the embryos besides her was Britt Westbourne. Dante immediately called Britt but had to leave voicemail. Ellie added that Brad, who was Britt's lackey, might know something also.

Ellie apologized and told Dante and Lulu that she had to leave for Portland immediately. Lulu wished Spinelli, Ellie, and the baby good luck as they started their new life in Portland. Ellie said that she was a phone call away if they needed her help or had any more questions about the embryos. After Ellie was gone, Lulu asked what they would do next. Dante responded that they would get to the bottom of the mystery and find their embryos.

Anna interrogated Dr. Obrecht, who refused to answer questions until she got her one phone call. Anna was incredulous when Dr. Obrecht insisted on using that call to speak to Faison, who had recently held Dr. Obrecht captive in the Wyndemere tunnels. Dr. Obrecht said that she, unlike Anna, fell in love for eternity, and nothing could break the bond between Faison and Dr. Obrecht.

Anna told Dr. Obrecht that Faison was in a maximum-security prison and would not be allowed to speak to the person who had broken him out of that prison. Dr. Obrecht accused Anna of hiding something from her and voiced suspicions about what Anna had done with Faison. Anna called Dr. Obrecht's bluff. She handed Dr. Obrecht the phone and said, "Your move," before walking out into the hall. Once there, Anna phoned Robert and left a voicemail telling him that no matter what, Robert had to take their secret to the grave.

Maxie shut her apartment door when she saw Spinelli standing on the threshold, holding their daughter. Spinelli persisted, and eventually Maxie let him in. Spinelli informed Maxie that he, Ellie, and the baby were leaving for Portland that evening so that Ellie could start her new job the following day. He insisted that Maxie visit with her daughter before they left. Maxie held her daughter and was thrilled when Spinelli asked if Maxie would agree to rename the baby Georgie, after Maxie's sister and Spinelli's friend. Maxie was thrilled.

Maxie and Spinelli talked about the many ways that each had affected the other's life and how much they had grown as a result of their love and friendship. Through a series of flashbacks, Spinelli and Maxie recalled the many high points of their years together. They shared a long goodbye kiss, and each admitted that they still loved the other. Maxie said that she represented what might have been, and Ellie represented what should be.

Maxie told Spinelli not to forget her, and Spinelli said that he could not -- even if he tried. When Ellie arrived, Maxie tried to give Spinelli the Christmas ornaments that Maxie and Georgie had always hung on their Christmas tree, but Spinelli urged Maxie to keep one so that she could hang it on the tree when she celebrated with baby Georgie on the next Christmas. With a final kiss and a "Goodbye, Maximista," Spinelli, Ellie, and Georgie were out the door and bound for Portland. Maxie lay down on her sofa and clutched the ornament as tears rolled down her face.

Felix approached Brad and said he had a code blue in pediatrics. Brad was reluctant, especially when Brad learned that Felix was asking Brad to be the elf to Felix's Santa. Felix explained that Spinelli had played pediatric Santa the previous year, but the task had fallen to Felix, who needed an assistant. With a little encouragement from Felix, Brad agreed, and they were soon changing into their costumes and exchanging steamy looks.

After the event, Brad was amazed at how good it felt to do nice things. Felix was encouraged by Brad's attitude. Felix left to change out of his costume as Lulu and Dante approached Brad. When Brad asked what they wanted, Dante told Brad to tell them everything he knew about their missing embryos.

At Wyndemere, Britt stopped Nikolas from making love to her because she wanted to be completely truthful with him. Nikolas listened as Britt explained that Brad was not her baby's father. Britt said that she had been desperate to get pregnant and had taken an unknown donor's sperm from the sperm bank, and Brad had known and had kept her secret. Britt said that she had not told that to Patrick because she had broken the law by stealing the sperm, and she did not want that to be known.

Britt asked if Nikolas could forgive her. Britt said that Nikolas had been her only friend, and she had been afraid that he would not continue to be her friend if he knew the truth about what she had done. Nikolas said that he was on her side and would continue to be on Britt's side because they had been through so much together and had so much in common. Nikolas said that the only thing that could ever hurt them was if Britt lied to him. Nikolas said that he knew what Britt had done and that he had also done horrible things.

Nikolas said that he did not need Britt to hide who she was because that was the person that he wanted to be with and make love with. They began kissing, and their passion led them to the bedroom. In the afterglow, Britt wondered if they were really a couple, which she found a little scary. Nikolas said that he was not afraid because they had each other, and nothing could rip them apart.

When Nikolas left to comfort a crying baby Ben, Britt noticed that she had missed a call from Dante. Her phone rang, and she answered it. Dr. Obrecht was on the line. Dr. Obrecht said that she needed Britt's help. When Britt asked why she should help, Dr. Obrecht replied that she knew everything about Britt's baby.

At the police station, Anna left Robert a voicemail message to ask him to return her call. Anna revealed that Liesl Obrecht had been asking questions about Cesar Faison, but Anna assured Robert that she would take their secret to the grave.

After Anna ended the call, she rounded the corner and bumped into Duke. Duke immediately sensed that Anna was upset, so she attributed it to being overwhelmed by the enormity of Robin's return. She explained that it had been similar to discovering that Duke was alive. Duke suggested that they spend a few days in the mountains to rest and recharge, but Anna insisted that she couldn't get away while a mob war was brewing between Sonny and Julian.

Duke tensed when Anna confessed that she was glad that he was staying away from the "firestorm." Duke carefully assured her that he didn't want to add to her burden. Anna smiled and then asked how his job search had gone. Duke recalled agreeing to work for Sonny, so he carefully explained that he had gone to the gym. He admitted that he was famished, so he invited Anna to join him for lunch. Anna declined because she had to question Liesl after Liesl's allotted phone call.

Anna was startled when Duke suggested that Liesl had called Faison because Liesl didn't have anyone else. However, he realized that it was unlikely because Faison was in Steinmauer. Anna was uncomfortable with the direction of their conversation, so she decided to check on Liesl. Duke asked Anna not to work too late and then left.

At Ava's apartment, Ava left Carlos a message imploring him to return her call because she was worried about him. Morgan lounged on the sofa, sporting a Santa hat and wearing only a pair of boxer briefs. After Ava ended the call, Morgan invited Ava to sit on his lap, so he could turn her frown upside down. Ava smiled and took Morgan up on his offer.

After Morgan and Ava made love, Ava breathlessly confessed that Morgan would wear her out. She suggested that they take a break for sustenance, but Morgan didn't want Ava to grow bored of him. Ava assured him that she wouldn't.

Moments later, Julian knocked on the door, demanding to speak to his sister. Julian was disappointed when he noticed his sister's disheveled appearance and made a snide remark about Ava not being concerned about Carlos' disappearance. Ava assured her brother that she was worried about Carlos, so Julian told her that he had paid Sonny a visit to question Sonny. Ava wasn't surprised that Sonny had denied any knowledge of Carlos' whereabouts.

Morgan suggested that perhaps Carlos had dropped out of sight because of Carlos' ex-girlfriend's wedding, but Ava argued that Carlos wouldn't have left without a word. Ava admitted that Sonny had threatened to strike back at Ava and Julian, so she was certain that Sonny had targeted Carlos. Julian suggested that they might have had a clue about Carlos' fate if Morgan had properly bugged Sonny's office. Morgan offered to make amends, so Julian was curious if Morgan intended to question Sonny. Morgan admitted that he had an easier "mark" in mind.

After Morgan left, Julian made it clear that Morgan had better deliver because Julian wanted more of a return on his investment. Ava was not pleased when Julian made a veiled threat against Morgan, so she warned her brother that Julian would have to answer to her if Morgan was harmed. Julian suggested that his sister take it easy and then pointed out that she could find someone else to scratch her itch. Ava made it clear that she didn't want anyone else, prompting Julian to wonder if she had fallen for "the little Corinthos."

Julian became distracted when he heard a knock at the door. He assumed that "the idiot" had forgotten the key, so he went to the door. It was Duke. Ava and Julian proceeded to taunt Duke by referring to him as the "family's lap dog," but Duke fired back by blaming Julian for the death of Duke and Anna's unborn child. Julian sarcastically suggested that they let go of the past, so he invited Duke inside.

Ava and Julian tensed when Duke reached into the breast pocket of his coat. Julian immediately pulled out a gun and aimed it at Duke, but Duke merely smiled and continued to withdraw an envelope. "My, aren't we jumpy," Duke commented with a smile of satisfaction. Julian slowly lowered the gun as he asked what was in the envelope. Duke pulled out a letter of resignation, which he read aloud to Julian. The letter accused Ava and Julian of being a "blight" on Port Charles and explained that Duke had wasted enough of his life working for the Jeromes.

Afterwards, Duke conceded that it had been easier to part ways with Julian the second time. Julian warned Duke that it wouldn't be that simple for Duke or for Anna, but Duke disagreed and dared Julian to complicate things.

At the lake house, Molly and T.J. were in a heated argument as Molly arrived home. T.J. insisted that it wasn't Molly's place to make decisions for both of them, but Molly clarified that she had made the decision for herself. T.J. demanded that Molly hear him out, so she agreed to remain "mute" until T.J. was done talking. T.J. accused her of acting childish, so Molly made it clear that no amount of talking would change the fact that their relationship was over.

Molly suggested that T.J. consider the breakup an early Christmas present from her and then invited him to pursue Taylor. T.J. insisted that he didn't want Taylor, but Molly didn't believe him because he had been jealous of Taylor and Rafe's "fake" relationship. T.J. argued that Molly had been the one who had been jealous, but Molly refused to continue the argument, so she marched into the house.

Later, Molly was looking at pictures of herself and T.J. when someone knocked on the door. Molly assumed that it was T.J., so she yelled out to him to go away as she threw open the door. Her anger turned to surprise when she saw Morgan standing on her doorstep. The cousins exchanged greetings and hugs before Molly invited Morgan inside.

Morgan admitted that it had sounded like she had been expecting someone else, so Molly revealed that she and T.J. had had an argument. Morgan seized the opportunity to express concern for T.J. because of T.J.'s relationship with Shawn, who was Sonny's new enforcer. Morgan told Molly about Carlos' disappearance and revealed that Shawn was suspected of carrying out the abduction on Sonny's orders.

Molly assured Morgan that T.J. wasn't a part of Sonny's organization, so Morgan reminded her that Michael hadn't been either, yet both Michael and Kristina had gone through all kinds of "crap" because their last name had been Corinthos. Morgan admitted that he had managed to escape harm, but T.J. might not be as lucky. Morgan warned Molly that if Shawn had taken Carlos then T.J. might be caught in the crossfire.

Molly admitted that she had always feared the possibility, but she didn't know how to help T.J. She confided that T.J.'s mother wasn't in the picture, so T.J. had nowhere else to go. Morgan conceded that he could be wrong about who had taken Carlos, so Molly suggested that they could find out by having T.J. follow Shawn. Morgan smiled with satisfaction as he agreed that her plan might work. Molly worried that T.J. might not cooperate, but Morgan insisted that it would be the only way to keep T.J. safe.

At Sonny's coffee warehouse, Shawn led Sonny to a small room where Carlos had been bound to a chair. Sonny greeted Carlos, who replied by spitting on the floor. Sonny made it clear that Carlos was expected to treat his host better than that, so Carlos grumbled that Sonny should treat his in-laws better. Sonny pointed out that he didn't have any proof that Carlos was Lily's brother.

Moments later, Carlos' phone rang. Sonny glanced at the caller identification and revealed that it was Ava. Sonny wondered how long it would take the Jeromes to replace Carlos, but Carlos warned Sonny that the Jeromes would look for Carlos. Sonny thought that Carlos was loyal to a fault, so Carlos countered by accusing Sonny of cutting Morgan loose and leaving Morgan "ripe for Ava's picking."

Sonny's smile evaporated, so Carlos continued to push Sonny's buttons by suggesting that Sonny wasn't concerned about Morgan because Sonny had two other sons. Sonny smacked Carlos on the back of the head and warned Carlos not to talk about Sonny's sons. Carlos was certain that Lily would be disappointed in Sonny, so Sonny called out to Shawn to find out if Shawn had learned anything new about Carlos' connection to Lily. Sonny admitted that he was eager to "slit Carlos' throat," but Shawn confessed that he was still working on finding out if Carlos was Sonny's first wife's brother.

Moments later, Sonny and Shawn heard the buzzer to the front door, so Shawn left to find out who it was. T.J. greeted Shawn and noticed Shawn tuck a gun into the back of Shawn's waistband. T.J. wondered what Shawn had been doing, but Shawn ignored the question and asked why T.J. was there. T.J. admitted that he had wanted to talk to Shawn about an argument that T.J. had had with Molly.

Shawn explained that it would have to wait, so T.J. agreed to catch up with Shawn at a later time. Shawn felt bad for putting T.J. off, but T.J. assured Shawn that he understood. T.J. asked Shawn to be careful and then left.

Shawn returned to let Sonny know that T.J. had stopped by to discuss the "usual girl trouble." Sonny entered the room where Carlos was being held to announce that Carlos had been given another reprieve. Sonny explained that Lily had understood the nature of Sonny's business and therefore had recognized that certain messages had to be sent. "And sometimes people -- they just have to die," Sonny added in a menacing tone.

Sonny suggested that Carlos enjoy his last night and remember that Carlos would have died an easier death if Carlos hadn't lied about being Lily's brother. Carlos denied lying, but Sonny ignored Carlos' protests as Shawn returned to announce that Sonny had a visitor.

Moments later, Sonny greeted Duke and then informed Shawn that Duke had agreed to work for Sonny. Duke revealed that he had officially parted ways with Julian as Duke and Sonny had discussed, so it was time for the next step. "Welcome to the fold," Sonny replied with a smile.

Shawn went to make certain that Carlos was securely bound to the chair. Shawn taunted Carlos about Carlos' fate, so Carlos told Shawn to go to "hell." Shawn chuckled and then assured Carlos that Carlos would be there soon.

In another area of the warehouse, Sonny revealed that he had Carlos. Duke commended Sonny. "Julian wanted a war; he's going to get what he came for," Sonny replied.

T.J. returned to the lake house to drop off a Christmas present that he had bought for Molly. T.J. explained that he couldn't return it, so he wanted her to have it. Molly revealed that she had been on her way to find T.J., so she could apologize to him for what she had said earlier. Molly conceded that she had been a bit jealous when she had seen Rafe and Taylor together, but she assured T.J. that she loved T.J. T.J. returned the declaration of love and then kissed Molly. Afterwards, T.J. started to leave, but Molly asked him to wait because she wanted to talk to him about Shawn.

Meanwhile, Morgan returned to Ava's apartment. Ava was eager for news about Carlos, so Morgan explained that he had laid the groundwork that would help them pick up Carlos' trail.

At the hospital, Dante and Lulu confronted Brad about the frozen embryos that had disappeared from the lab. Brad claimed that he had no idea what had happened to Dante and Lulu's embryos and then tried to leave, but Dante wasn't satisfied. Lulu explained that three of her eggs had been harvested and then fertilized with her husband's sperm. One of the embryos had been implanted in Maxie, while the other two had been stored in the hospital's laboratory.

Lulu revealed that she and Dante had decided to have another baby, so they had gone to the lab to make certain that everything had been in order, but Ellie had discovered that the embryos had disappeared. Brad tried blaming the mistake on Ellie's absentmindedness, but Dante argued that they were talking about embryos, not misplaced papers. Dante added that the embryos had been logged in, but there hadn't been any record of anyone taking them, so Dante wanted to know what had happened to the embryos.

Brad promised to get to the bottom of things. Dante threatened to hold Brad personally accountable if the embryos weren't found, so Brad advised Dante to talk to Britt because she had handled the implantation. Dante argued that Brad was in charge of the lab, so it began and ended with Brad. Brad panicked when Dante threatened to talk to Brad's superiors, so he assured Dante and Lulu that he would look into it.

Dante and Lulu decided to wait while Brad tried to locate the missing embryos. Dante assured Lulu that he wouldn't have any qualms about pressing charges against Brad if the embryos weren't found, but Lulu couldn't understand how the embryos had disappeared from the lab when there had been safeguards in place to prevent something like that from happening. Dante didn't know, but he was confident that Brad wouldn't show his face until he had some answers for Dante and Lulu.

Lulu pointed out that they didn't have any reason to believe Brad, so Dante conceded that he didn't like Brad either. However, Dante reminded her that Brad had told them the truth about Connie. Lulu confessed that she had never understood the expression "ignorance is bliss" until Brad had revealed that Spinelli and Maxie were Connie's biological parents. However, she doubted that Brad had told them the truth out of the goodness of his heart. Dante agreed.

Lulu pointed out that Brad had also conspired with Britt to pass his own son off as Patrick's child, so Brad couldn't be trusted. Dante realized that Britt hadn't returned his phone call, so he decided to call the doctor again to leave her another message. Afterwards, Dante assured Lulu that he would take the police launch to Spoon Island the following day if he had to.

Lulu questioned if they were meant to be parents because they had already hit a roadblock. Dante appreciated that Lulu was scared, so he assured her that he would be with her every step of the way. Dante promised Lulu that they would find the missing embryos and have their baby.

At Wyndemere, Britt was on the phone with her mother. Liesl refused to spend another night in jail, so she ordered Britt to get to the police station within the hour. Britt refused, so Liesl threatened to dismantle the "fragile little fairytale" that Britt had constructed for herself. Liesl vowed to sing like "Maria von Trapp crossing the Alps."

"Only, mine will be the executioner's song sung to the tune of truth," Liesl added and then made it clear that she had been referring to the baby. Britt tried to call her mother's bluff by claiming that she had told Nikolas everything. Liesl didn't believe Britt because Liesl was certain that Nikolas would have cut all ties with Britt if he had known the truth about what Britt had done. Britt argued that Nikolas was a Cassadine and couldn't be shocked, but Liesl doubted that Nikolas would abide Britt's presence if he knew the full truth.

Britt stuck to her lie, so Liesl dared Britt to put Nikolas on the phone. Britt panicked when Nikolas entered the parlor, carrying Ben in his arms, so she quickly ended the call. Nikolas was curious why Britt hadn't waited for him in bed, so she admitted that her mother had called. Britt claimed that she had known that Nikolas wouldn't be pleased, so she had decided to take the call in another room. Nikolas was curious why Liesl had been bothering Britt, so Britt confessed that her mother wanted Britt's help.

Nikolas advised Britt to ignore her mother, but Britt argued that Liesl would continue to pester her. Nikolas was disappointed when Britt decided to go to the police station to deal with her mother. He admitted that he had hoped to "spoon" with Britt in bed. Britt smiled and confessed that their night together had been amazing.

Shortly after Britt left, Brad arrived. Brad was flustered when Nikolas answered the door without a shirt on, but Nikolas was too annoyed to care. Nikolas informed Brad that Britt was not there and then revealed that Britt had told him that Brad was not Ben's father. Brad was curious what exactly Britt had said about Ben's father, so Nikolas admitted that he knew that Britt had used an anonymous sperm donor.

Nikolas made it clear that Brad was no longer welcome on Spoon Island, since Brad didn't have any biological connection to Ben and then slammed the door in Brad's face.

In the interrogation room, Liesl smiled when Anna entered. Liesl confessed that she had thought that Anna had forgotten her, but Anna assured Liesl that it wasn't likely. Anna hoped that Liesl had put the phone call to good use by calling an attorney. Liesl admitted that she had found someone better -- someone who would move Heaven and earth to set Liesl free without asking for a penny in return. "Great, who's that?" Anna wondered.

Liesl looked past Anna's shoulder with a smile. Anna turned and saw Britt standing in the squad room. Anna couldn't believe that Liesl would involve Britt after Liesl had kidnapped Ben. Anna opened the door and tried to urge Britt to leave, but Liesl resented someone like Anna, who had abandoned her own daughter for years, dispensing advice to Britt.

Disgusted, Anna stormed off. Britt entered the interrogation room and closed the door. Liesl knew that Britt was there because Britt was afraid that Nikolas would learn the truth about Ben. Britt admitted that she had intended to tell Nikolas the truth, but then had decided to claim that she had used an anonymous sperm donor to get pregnant. Liesl appreciated that it had been Britt's original plan to trap Patrick until Britt had turned to Liesl for help.

Liesl bragged that her own plan had been the better one. Britt pointed out that the truth could still be exposed, so Liesl assured Britt that Britt had nothing to worry about as long as Britt cooperated.

After Britt left, Anna returned to announce that the courthouse was closed, so Liesl would have to spend the night in jail until Liesl's arraignment the following day. Liesl was confident that Britt would not allow Liesl to languish in jail for long.

A short time later, Britt arrived at Wyndemere. She was stunned when she saw Brad lurking outside the front door, so she demanded to know what he was doing there. Brad congratulated Britt on "bagging" Nikolas and then asked what her secret was. Britt was not amused, so Brad revealed that Dante and Lulu knew that their frozen embryos were missing.

Britt suddenly recalled her conversation with her mother at the police station when Liesl had gloated about Liesl's plan to help Britt get pregnant. "Why go to the trouble of creating a new baby when you had embryos ready-made?" Liesl had asked her daughter. "We used Dante and Lulu Falconeri's," Liesl had added with a sinister laugh.

Britt returned to the present when Brad called out her name. "How long before Dante and Lulu figure out that you have their son?" Brad asked. Britt glared at Brad and then checked to make certain that Nikolas hadn't overheard him.

At the lake house, Alexis was on her way out when she opened the door and saw Julian standing on her doorstep. Julian explained that he needed her help, so Alexis assumed that it had something to do with Sam. She was surprised when Julian asked her what she knew about Sonny's involvement in Carlos' disappearance. Alexis reminded Julian that she was Sonny's attorney, so she wasn't involved in Sonny's criminal activity.

Meanwhile, Molly eavesdropped as Julian warned Alexis that Sonny would order Shawn to execute Carlos. Molly recalled her conversation with T.J. the previous evening when she had told T.J. about her visit with Morgan and Morgan's concern that Shawn could be arrested or worse because Shawn was Sonny's enforcer.

Alexis heard a noise, so she turned as Molly entered the room. Alexis became concerned when she noticed Molly's troubled expression. Molly claimed that she was worried about a trigonometry test, so Julian confessed that he had hated math, but he was certain that Molly was better at it than he had been. Alexis ordered Julian to stop trying to charm her daughter and then sent Molly on her way.

After Molly left, Alexis made it clear that she didn't know anything about Carlos. "Fine," Julian replied and then changed the subject by asking who Lucas was. He explained that their daughter had mentioned Lucas' name when Sam had told Julian that Sam and Lucas didn't want to be a part of Julian's life. Julian suspected that Lucas was someone important to him, but Alexis claimed that she couldn't help Julian.

"You can't or you won't?" Julian asked. "Can't," Alexis replied. Julian didn't believe Alexis, but she scoffed because Julian wasn't in a position to accuse anyone of lying. "Liar," Alexis added. Julian smiled because he could tell that Alexis was being evasive. He touched the corner of her mouth as he explained that she did a "cute" little thing with her mouth when she lied.

Alexis slapped Julian's hand away as she ordered him not to touch her. Julian shifted gears as he reminded Alexis that she had mentioned that she had used a family member's DNA to prove that Sam was his daughter, so he wanted to know who had helped her. He knew that it wasn't Ava, so he wondered if it had been Lucas.

Alexis announced that she had to leave, so she made it clear that Julian had to leave. Julian agreed, but he warned Alexis that he wouldn't give up on Carlos, Lucas, or him and Alexis. "There is no 'us'," Alexis replied. She told him that whatever chance that they might have had had flown out of the window when Julian had decided to go after Sonny.

Julian argued that Sonny was at war with him, but Alexis countered that Julian had started it. Alexis was certain that Sonny would finish it, but she was a pacifist, so she intended to stay out of it. Julian accused Alexis of being evasive again, so Alexis assured him that she could be direct. She shoved him out of the house, told him to go to "hell," and then slammed the door in his face. Moments later, she picked up to the phone to call someone.

At the warehouse, Sonny asked Carlos how Carlos' night had been. "Uncomfortable," Carlos complained. Sonny smiled pleasantly as he assured Carlos that he had good news; Carlos wouldn't have to put up with it much longer because Sonny was certain that Carlos had lied about being Lily's brother. Carlos insisted that he was Sonny's first wife's brother, but Sonny didn't believe Carlos.

Sonny explained that he intended to kill Carlos to send Julian a message. However, Sonny would make certain that Carlos' body wouldn't be found, so the police wouldn't be able to tie Carlos' murder to Sonny. Carlos insisted that he could be an asset to Sonny, but Sonny wasn't interested.

After Sonny gagged Carlos and then locked Carlos in the room, Sonny met with Duke in the warehouse. Duke was curious if Carlos was still alive, so Sonny assured Duke that Carlos, or someone else close to Julian, would soon die. Sonny wanted to know if Duke would have a problem with that, but Duke reminded Sonny that Julian had threatened Anna, so Duke would do whatever was necessary to keep Anna safe.

Sonny was curious if Julian had believed Duke's claim that Duke wanted nothing to do with the mob. Duke explained that Julian was paranoid, but Julian knew that Duke had fought hard to break free of organized crime, so Duke was confident that Julian would believe that Duke would do anything to avoid getting pulled back in. Satisfied, Sonny revealed that he wanted Duke to sit quietly on the sidelines and pointed out Julian's vulnerabilities. Duke assured Sonny that taking Carlos had been a good start.

At Kelly's, Shawn handed T.J. a breakfast plate to cheer T.J. up. Shawn was relieved when T.J. admitted that T.J. and Molly had worked things out, because Shawn had felt bad for turning T.J. away when T.J. had wanted to talk. T.J. assured Shawn that it was okay; however, T.J. was curious what Shawn had been working on at the warehouse.

Shawn and T.J. entered the kitchen as Shawn assured T.J. that it had just been work. Shawn promised T.J. that it wouldn't affect T.J., but T.J. argued that Shawn couldn't control that. Puzzled, Shawn wondered what was troubling T.J., so T.J. explained that he was curious what would happen if Shawn landed in a situation that Shawn couldn't get out of. T.J. admitted that he was worried about not only the police arresting Shawn, but also Sonny's enemies.

Shawn pointed out that he had been working for Sonny for months, so he was curious why T.J. suddenly seemed to have a problem with that. Molly entered the kitchen before T.J. could reply. Molly apologized for interrupting them, but T.J. assured her that it was okay and then led her out of the kitchen. Moments later, Shawn received a phone call.

In the dining area, Molly told T.J. that Julian had stopped by the lake house to ask her mother about Carlos and to warn Alexis that Shawn might be ordered to kill Carlos. T.J. feared that he would end up in foster care far away if something were to happen to Shawn, because T.J.'s mother wasn't in the picture. Molly refused to let that happen, so T.J. explained that it was imperative for them to find Carlos. T.J. suddenly had an idea, so he lifted a set of keys from Shawn's coat pocket and then left the diner with Molly in tow.

A short time later, T.J. and Molly arrived at the warehouse. T.J. decided that Molly should leave because it was too dangerous, but Molly argued that T.J. needed backup. T.J. explained that he couldn't focus on helping Shawn if he was worried about Molly, so he implored Molly to go. Molly reluctantly agreed.

Meanwhile, Sonny and Duke met with Shawn. Shawn revealed that his contact in Puerto Rico had called to confirm that Carlos had lied about being Lily's brother. Sonny, Shawn, and Duke agreed that it was time to take Carlos out.

Outside of Kelly's, Lulu bumped into Luke and Bobbie. Luke wondered how his daughter had been holding up, so Lulu confessed that losing custody of Connie had been difficult. Luke pointed out that Lulu was still standing. "Barely," Lulu replied.

Bobbie was curious how Dante was doing, so Lulu revealed that she and Dante had decided to try to have another baby. Bobbie was happy for Lulu and Dante, but Lulu explained that there had been a problem; the two remaining frozen embryos had disappeared. Bobbie couldn't understand how that was possible, so Lulu admitted that she intended to talk to Britt about it.

After Lulu left to go to Spoon Island, Luke and Bobbie entered the diner. Bobbie confessed to her brother that she was worried about Lucas. She quickly filled Luke in about the DNA test that had revealed that Sam was Lucas' sister and how Sam had inadvertently mentioned Lucas to Julian. Luke assured Bobbie that she didn't have anything to worry about, but Bobbie insisted that she didn't want to be caught off guard if Julian managed to track down Lucas.

A short time later, Alexis called Bobbie to let Bobbie know that Julian had been at the lake house, asking questions about Lucas. Bobbie ended the call with Alexis and then shared the news with Luke. Luke tensed when he saw Julian enter the diner.

At the hospital, Brad admitted that he had enjoyed playing an elf to Felix's Santa, so he flirtatiously suggested that he could sit on Felix' lap later. Felix gave Brad an odd look. "To give you my Christmas list of course," Brad clarified. Felix chuckled and then changed the subject by asking what Dante and Lulu had wanted to talk to Brad about.

Brad led Felix to an unoccupied examination room as he filled Felix in about Dante and Lulu's missing frozen embryos. Horrified, Felix wondered if Brad had any idea what had happened to the embryos. Brad recalled his conversation with Britt the previous evening when he had asked Britt how long before Dante and Lulu found out that she had Dante and Lulu's son.

Brad returned to the present and denied any knowledge of the missing embryos. Felix insisted that Brad find a way to locate "those seedlings," but Brad claimed that he didn't know how. Felix argued that Brad was in charge of the lab and then pointed out that Brad could lose his job. Brad claimed that he had felt terrible for Dante and Lulu, so Felix urged Brad to find a way to fix it.

Felix assured Brad that Brad would be glad that he had. "And so will I," Felix added. After Felix left, Brad pulled out Dante's business card.

At Wyndemere, Britt held Ben as she confessed to the baby that she had made a mess of things. She conceded that she had no one to blame but herself. However, she didn't know what to do. Britt admitted that she felt bad for Dante and Lulu, but Britt was afraid of losing Ben.

Moments later, Nikolas entered the room. Nikolas was curious if Britt had been up all night. Britt claimed that Ben had had a rough night, but Nikolas suspected that Britt had been the one who had been restless because she had been troubled about her mother. Britt explained that she had tried to make Liesl understand that she was through with her mother, but family was still family.

Britt realized that she had a conscience, after all, because she wanted to hire an attorney for her mother. Nikolas urged Britt to do what she needed to because he didn't like sleeping without her. Britt smiled as he leaned down to kiss her.

A short time later, Lulu stopped by. Nikolas warmly greeted his sister and then apologized for not going to court during the custody hearing. Lulu assured Nikolas that it was fine, but Nikolas disagreed. He reminded her that he had gone through a similar situation with Aiden, so he knew how difficult it had been for his sister to lose custody of Connie.

Lulu became distracted when she spotted Ben's playpen in the parlor. "He's beautiful," Lulu said as she gazed down at Ben. She asked permission to hold the baby, so Nikolas nodded. Lulu picked Ben up, not realizing that she held her son for the first time. She then breathed in Ben's scent as she confessed that she hadn't held a baby since Connie had been taken away.

Nikolas felt bad for Lulu, but Lulu changed the subject by asking if Britt was there. Nikolas explained that Britt had stepped out, so Lulu decided to wait. Lulu continued to hold Ben as she and Nikolas sat down on the sofa. Lulu told Nikolas that she and Dante had decided to try to have another baby, but they had encountered a problem. She started to tell Nikolas about the missing embryos when Dante called asking for Lulu to meet him.

After Lulu left, Nikolas confessed to Ben that he had no idea how Lulu could get by without her baby. He confessed that the pain of losing a child was unbearable, but he promised Ben that Ben wouldn't have to worry about that because no one would take Ben away. Nikolas then confided that he was falling for Britt.

At the police station, Liesl was escorted into the interrogation room before being transported to the courthouse for an arraignment. Liesl was curious if Britt had arrived, so Anna revealed that no one had heard from Britt. However, Anna taunted Liesl that both Anna and Robin looked forward to Liesl being sent away to prison. Annoyed, Liesl wondered if Britt had sent an attorney.

Anna smiled as she revealed that Liesl would have to spill all of Liesl's "dirty little secrets" to a public defender. Liesl spotted Dante standing in the doorway, so she decided to share those secrets with Dante. Dante couldn't imagine what Liesl had to say to him. "If only you knew," Liesl teased. Anna advised Dante to ignore Liesl because Liesl was angry and grasping at straws.

Liesl assured Dante that she had something of the utmost importance to share with Dante, but Dante insisted that he didn't have time to play games with Liesl. Liesl suggested that Dante make the time, but Britt entered the room before Liesl could share Britt's secret.

Dante immediately asked if Britt had received his voicemail messages. Britt admitted that she had, but she explained that she didn't have any answers for him. However, Britt assured him that she had asked Brad to find out what had happened to the missing embryos. Britt then asked to have a private word with her mother, so Anna and Dante left.

Britt quickly closed the door and demanded to know what had been going on. Liesl admitted that she had been about to tell Dante the truth about his son because she had thought that Britt had failed to hold up Britt's end of the bargain. Britt tensed when Liesl pointed out that the truth could have shaved years off of Liesl's sentence.

Britt regretted going along with Liesl's plan to hold on to Patrick. Liesl recalled the conversation in February when Britt had revealed that Patrick had ended things with Britt because Patrick's "brat" had pushed Britt too far. Liesl had been furious that Britt hadn't been able to find it in her heart to be kind to a child, but Britt had argued that she had learned her maternal instincts from Liesl, "the least maternal woman on the planet." Britt insisted that it had been Liesl's fault that Patrick had walked away from Britt.

Liesl had been furious with Britt until Liesl had realized that Britt could recapture Patrick's heart by giving him another child. Britt had argued that she and Patrick had slept together only once and that Britt hadn't gotten pregnant, but Liesl had countered that there were other ways. Britt had quickly agreed to go to a sperm bank to find a donor who had matched Patrick's description, but Liesl had argued that time had been of the essence if Britt had hoped to pass the baby off as Patrick's.

Liesl returned to the present as she reminded Britt that they had found the perfect solution by using Dante and Lulu's two remaining frozen embryos. Liesl conceded that the first embryo hadn't been viable, suggesting to Liesl that it had been a girl. However, the second embryo had taken, and the result had been a perfect baby boy. Britt reminded her mother that the child's name was Ben and that Dante and Lulu had been asking questions.

Britt couldn't believe that she had ended up dating Lulu's brother and that Nikolas had turned out to be the one person that had changed Britt's life. Britt confessed that Nikolas had been the first man to make her happy and to feel worthy of love. Liesl sarcastically congratulated her daughter, but Britt ignored her mother. Britt admitted that even if she had managed to keep the secret, she didn't know if she could live with the knowledge that she had Nikolas' sister's baby.

Liesl couldn't believe that her daughter had fallen for the "overindulged prince." Britt confessed that she hated lying to Nikolas, but she hated the thought of losing him more. Liesl assured Britt that no one would find out because Liesl had taken steps to cover their "arsches."

In the squad room, Dante talked to Anna about his and Lulu's decision to try to have another baby. Anna was shocked when he told her that the frozen embryos had disappeared, so she wondered if he suspected that someone had tampered with them. Dante's phone rang before he could answer.

Shortly after Dante left, Duke arrived to check on Anna. Anna smiled at him and then confessed that she had hated waking up without him. She was curious if he had left early to go on a job interview. "You could say that, sort of," Duke replied. Anna hoped that he had passed the interview with flying colors because she thought that success was the best revenge. Anna was certain that Julian would rue the day that he had tried to trick Duke into getting back into the mob.

Dante and Lulu approached Brad at the nurses' station. Brad revealed that he had located the missing embryos. Brad claimed that he had made a huge mistake by trusting Ellie and then showed Dante and Lulu documentation signed by Ellie authorizing that the frozen embryos be destroyed.

Meanwhile, T.J. used Shawn's keys to enter the locked warehouse. He slowly made his way through the warehouse until he spotted another locked door. T.J. quickly unlocked it and then entered the room. He was surprised when he saw Carlos tied to a chair, so he ran over to free Carlos. Carlos thanked T.J. for his help and then started to leave. However, Carlos encountered one of Sonny's henchmen, so he immediately sprang into action as the henchmen reached for a gun.

Outside, Shawn realized that his keys were missing. Sonny produced his own set of keys to unlock the door. Sonny opened the door as a shot rang out.

At Kelly's, Bobbie told Luke that Alexis had called to alert Bobbie that Julian had been asking a lot of questions about Lucas. Luke tensed when he saw Julian enter the diner. Julian spotted the Spencer siblings, so he approached Bobbie to greet her. Bobbie pretended that she had no idea who Julian was, so Julian explained that he'd had plastic surgery to alter his appearance and then introduced himself.

Luke was curious if Julian had gone to the same "abattoir" as Jerry Jacks. Julian was curious who Luke was, so Luke introduced himself and then revealed that he knew Julian's sister, Ava. Julian recognized Luke's name because Ava had mentioned Luke, and Luke had a prominent history in Port Charles.

Luke offered a saccharine smile as he conceded that Julian's plastic surgeon had done a fine job on Julian's face. Luke was curious if Jerry Jacks had recommended the doctor to Julian or if it had been the other way around. Julian claimed that he didn't know anything about Jerry, but Luke didn't believe him. Luke explained that Jerry had recently taken a dive off of the Metro Court Restaurant's terrace, but had managed to disappear with Ava's help. Julian continued to deny any knowledge of the incident, so Luke decided to let the matter drop by offering to walk Bobbie home.

Bobbie reached for her cell phone on the table just as Lucas called. "Who's Lucas?" Julian asked as he glanced at her cell phone's screen. Luke made it clear that it wasn't any of Julian's business, but then revealed that his full name was Lucas Lorenzo Spencer. Julian pointed out that Luke wasn't on the phone, so Luke pulled his cell phone out of his back pocket and claimed that he had "butt-dialed" Bobbie. Luke launched into a tirade about cell phones and technology. Julian's phone rang, so he excused himself and left when he saw that it was Morgan calling.

"That was close," Bobbie said as she and Luke sat back down. Moments later, Bobbie returned her son's call to let him know that she would be staying in Port Charles awhile longer. She assured her son that she was fine and then ended the call. Bobbie admitted that she had felt bad because she had lied to Lucas, but she couldn't tell her son that she'd had an encounter with his biological father.

Later, Luke and Bobbie ate some pie and reminisced about their aunt, Ruby. Luke confessed that he had never known anyone with Ruby's courage, resilience, and ability to cut through "the crap" to get to get to the truth. "Except when she was lying to your face," Bobbie added with a smile. Luke and Bobbie missed their aunt, but Luke pointed out that they still had each other. He promised Bobbie that he would always be her big brother.

At Ava's penthouse, Ava was surprised when she saw Morgan kneeling in front of the credenza because she had thought that he had left to go Christmas shopping. Morgan explained that he had wanted to stuff her stocking first, so Ava wondered if sex was all that he thought about. Morgan told Ava to get her mind out of the gutter and then showed her the two Christmas stockings hanging from the credenza. Ava was touched when Morgan told her that he wanted to make their first Christmas together special.

Moments later, Molly arrived to talk to Morgan. Morgan invited Molly inside and then introduced his anxious cousin to Ava. Molly was reluctant to talk in front of Ava, but Morgan assured Molly that Ava could be trusted. Molly explained that she was worried because T.J. had gone to Sonny's warehouse to look for Carlos. Molly quickly clarified that she didn't know if Carlos was there, but she feared that T.J. might be in danger.

Ava's phone rang, so Ava walked away to take the call when she saw that it was Silas. Silas demanded that Ava meet him right away, so she quickly ended the call, instructed Morgan to call Julian, and then left. Molly objected to involving Julian because she knew that her mother and sister wanted nothing to do with him, but Morgan assured Molly that there was nothing to worry about.

A short time later, Julian arrived, so Morgan quickly filled him in on Carlos' whereabouts. Molly insisted that it was pure speculation on T.J.'s part and then suggested that they call the police. Julian promised to take care of everything, so he asked her to wait and then left with Morgan. Molly sat down and then scrolled through pictures of T.J. on her cell phone as she prayed for T.J. to be okay.

At the hospital, Silas was surprised when he entered an examination room and saw Sam waiting. Sam smiled as she explained that she had stopped by to ask if he had talked to Rafe. Silas assured her that Rafe had opened up to him about Molly, so Sam relaxed and began to flirt with Silas. Silas kissed Sam until Sam broke away from the kiss to let him know that he was buzzing. "You noticed," Silas replied as he tried to kiss her again.

"No, I mean in your pants," Sam said as she evaded Silas' lips. She cringed with embarrassment when she realized how that had sounded, but Silas suddenly noticed that his cell phone had been buzzing. Silas saw that it was a restricted number, so he decided to take the call. Silas became tense during the brief exchange as he scribbled down the caller's phone number and then promised to return the call. Sam had noticed Silas' reaction, so she asked if everything was okay. Silas claimed that it had been a patient's family member, so he asked if they could pick up where they had left off later.

Sam smiled as she assured Silas that she was counting on it. She gave him a quick kiss and then left. Silas immediately called Ava to let her know that he needed to see her right away.

A short time later, Ava arrived. Silas pulled her into the room and then quickly closed the door. Ava confessed that she would have gotten there sooner if she had known how eager he had been to see her. Silas made it clear that he wasn't interested in playing games and then revealed that a New York City detective had called him. Ava sobered as she reminded Silas that she had warned him that it might happen when he had pushed her about Kiki.

Silas admitted that he had assumed that they had been in the clear and that the story had died down. "Well, apparently you were wrong," Ava replied and then advised him not to panic. Silas thought that was easy for Ava to say because the detective hadn't called her, so she suggested that the detective might lose interest if Silas didn't return the call. Silas insisted that it wasn't an option, but Ava doubted that Silas wanted his secrets exposed to Sam because she had noticed how fond Silas was of her niece.

Meanwhile, a nurse handed Patrick his cell phone that he had left at the nurses' station. Patrick thanked the nurse as Robin walked up. "You wanted to see me?" Robin asked softly. Patrick smiled and then suggested that it was time for Emma to return home, so she could wake up in her own bed on Christmas morning. Robin agreed, so Patrick handed Robin a set of house keys as he explained that he had arranged for Anna and Duke to drop off Emma at the house after Emma's visit with Santa. Robin noticed that they were Patrick's keys, so she quietly asked if he intended to move in with Sabrina.

Patrick explained that he had decided to stay in the on-call room. He appreciated that it had been a difficult time for everyone, but he knew that Robin wouldn't return home until he had ended things with Sabrina. "Can you blame me?" Robin asked. Patrick assured Robin that he didn't and then explained that he had promised their daughter that he would have everything figured out by Christmas, but he needed a little more time. Robin smiled in understanding, gave him a quick kiss, wished him a Merry Christmas in case she didn't see him, and then left.

Patrick checked his phone and saw that Sabrina had left him a voicemail message. He listened to the message as Sam walked up. Sam greeted him, so he admitted that he wasn't in the mood to talk. Sam empathized because she had been at the church when Patrick had found out that Robin was alive. Patrick confessed that it had felt like something out of his dreams. He had realized that it had been real when he had seen Robin holding Emma.

Sam admitted that it had been a miracle. Patrick agreed, but he explained that he owed everything to Sabrina because Sabrina had put Patrick and Emma back together. Sam was curious if Patrick loved Sabrina, so he admitted that he loved both Robin and Sabrina, but he didn't want to hurt either woman. Sam argued that it couldn't be avoided, so Patrick revealed that he didn't know where he belonged. Sam was certain that Patrick's heart knew.

Sam urged Patrick to make a decision, so everyone could move on with their lives. After a quick hug and a promise that everything would be okay, Sam left.

Later, Sam saw Ava at the elevator. Ava greeted her niece and then entered the elevator. Moments later, Silas walked up. Sam told him that she had just seen his "crazy ex-girlfriend" and that Ava had been her usual cryptic self. Silas was curious why Sam was still at the hospital, so she revealed that she had bumped into Patrick and had helped him work through a problem.

At the Drake residence, Robin picked up a picture of her and Patrick on their wedding day as she thought about the day that they had decided to buy the house. Robin had been certain that the house had been meant for them.

Moments later, Anna and Duke arrived with Emma in tow. Emma was delighted to be home, so Robin hugged her daughter and asked if Emma had had fun at the mall. Anna revealed that Emma had given Santa a surprisingly long list, but Emma quickly assured Robin that having Robin home had been the best present. Robin smiled and assured her daughter that Emma would get lots of other gifts, so Emma decided to fetch the Christmas stockings.

Robin revealed that the stockings were in the attic, so Duke offered to help Emma retrieve them. After Duke and Emma left the room, Anna sat down to have a chat with her daughter. Anna was curious how it felt to be home, so Robin admitted that she had noticed that Patrick had changed a few things. Anna explained that Maxie had made the changes because Maxie had thought that it would help Patrick and Emma move on from losing Robin. Robin appreciated what Maxie had done, but it had made Robin feel strange.

Robin confessed that she had wanted the house when she had first seen it because she had thought that it would pull her out of her postpartum depression. Robin conceded that it hadn't been a cure-all, but Robin had never regretted the decision to buy the house. Anna pointed out that Robin, Patrick, and Emma had become a family in the house. Robin agreed and then admitted that she had wonderful memories of living there, but it felt like she had walked into someone else's house because, without Patrick, those memories seemed like a lifetime ago.

Robin explained that she had tried to give Patrick the space that he needed to work through everything, but there were times that she wanted to shake him and tell him that he was an idiot. Anna knew what Patrick was going through because Anna had been in a similar situation when Robin had been a young girl. Anna revealed that she had moved on with Duke when Robert had walked back into their lives. Anna confessed that she had been torn because she had shared a special connection with Robert. However, Anna had also loved Duke.

Robin was curious who Anna would pick if Robert wanted Anna back. Anna explained that it wouldn't happen because Robert respected Anna's relationship with Duke, so Robert wouldn't put Anna in that position.

Robin admitted that she couldn't wait indefinitely for Patrick to make a decision, so Anna assured Robin that Patrick would soon realize that Robin was the woman Patrick wanted to spend his life with. Robin hoped that her mother was right.

Moments later, Duke and Emma returned with the stockings to hang. Duke wandered over to the tree, so Anna walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She sensed the tension in him, so she asked if he was okay. Duke recalled agreeing to work for Sonny to keep Anna safe from Julian, but he pushed the thoughts away and kissed Anna.

Meanwhile, Emma wondered if they should hang Patrick's stocking because he might be at Sabrina's for Christmas. Duke stepped in to distract Emma by offering to help Emma find the perfect place on the fireplace mantel for Emma and Robin's stockings. Seconds later, the doorbell rang. Robin whispered Patrick's name as she went to open the door.

At Sabrina's apartment, Sabrina was in the midst of wrapping Christmas presents when she took a break to call Patrick. She left him a voicemail message to let him know that she had presents for Emma, so she wanted to know what to do with them. After Sabrina ended the call, she picked up a box with a man's watch nestled inside.

Moments later, Felix arrived home with bags of gifts. He grumbled about always waiting until the last minute to shop, but then noticed the expensive watch on the table. He picked it up to take a closer look at it as Sabrina revealed that she had bought it for Patrick before the wedding, thinking that Christmas would be the beginning of their new life together. Felix saw that the watch had been inscribed with Patrick's initials, so he advised Sabrina to wrap it in something worthy of the gift.

Felix was surprised when Sabrina admitted that she had decided not to wrap the present because she didn't know if she and Patrick would be together for Christmas. Felix suggested that perhaps Patrick had made his choice but had decided to wait for the right moment to tell her. Sabrina tried to steer the conversation away from Patrick, but Felix refused to let her. Sabrina explained that she had left Patrick a voicemail message, but he hadn't returned her call. "If he made a choice, it wasn't me," Sabrina concluded.

Felix argued that Patrick hadn't said anything, which indicated that Patrick hadn't made a decision yet. He urged Sabrina not to give up hope because she stood just as much of a chance as Robin. Sabrina disagreed because Robin was Patrick's wife and the mother of his child. Felix pointed out that Patrick had recently asked Sabrina to marry him and had spent the past year in a relationship with Sabrina. Felix didn't discount Patrick's love for Robin, but he insisted that it had been a long time since Patrick had been with Robin. Felix reminded his friend that people changed, including Patrick.

Later, Felix noticed that Sabrina seemed a million miles away. Sabrina looked up from her phone and admitted that she wasn't in a holiday mood. Felix went to pack his bags and then returned to the living room to announce that he was ready to head to North Carolina with his sister to spend the holiday with their parents. Felix invited Sabrina to join them, but Sabrina declined. Felix tried to change her mind, but Sabrina thought that it would be best for her to remain in Port Charles.

Felix didn't want Sabrina to give up hope, so he urged her to wrap her would-be husband's gift. After Felix left, Sabrina conceded that it was the season for faith, hope, and miracles. She wrapped Patrick's present and then set it on the table. Moments later, someone knocked on the door. Sabrina assumed that it was Felix, so she was surprised when she opened the door and saw Patrick standing on her doorstep.

At the warehouse, Carlos left the room that he had been imprisoned in and encountered one of Sonny's henchmen. A brief struggle ensued between the henchman and Carlos as T.J. stood in the doorway, staring in disbelief.

Outside, Sonny and Shawn drew their guns when they heard a shot ring out. They quickly entered the warehouse and made their way to the room where Carlos had been held. They spotted the unconscious guard on the floor, so Sonny rushed into the room and discovered that Carlos had escaped. Sonny ordered Shawn to search the warehouse.

A short time later, Shawn returned empty-handed, so Sonny called out to Julian's enforcer to order Carlos to show himself. Carlos stepped forward with T.J. as a hostage. T.J. looked frightened as Carlos held a gun to T.J.'s head. Shawn ordered Carlos to let T.J. go, but Carlos made it clear that T.J. would remain a hostage until Carlos was free. Sonny informed Carlos that it was not an option.

The standoff continued until Max managed to sneak up behind Carlos. Carlos tensed when he felt Max's gun pressed against the back of Carlos' head. Sonny pointed out that Carlos was out of options, but the tables quickly turned when Julian and Morgan suddenly entered the warehouse with their guns drawn.

Sonny immediately ordered Morgan to leave the warehouse. "Why? So you can shoot me in the back?" Morgan asked his father. Julian made it clear that they would not leave without Carlos, but Sonny refused to allow Carlos to leave alive. Julian responded by firing a shot at Sonny.